Several movies starring Ryan Reynolds contain subtle references to cards or tabletop games.
In the bizarre flick The Nines, his character is seen playing backgammon – but every time, the dice rolls come up as nines. Other movies include references to chess.
Reynolds was also selected as the star of a potential and yet uncreated remake of Clue, and stars as a non-playable video game character in his latest movie Free Guy.
But the one game that he hasn’t featured yet… Bridge. That’s what got me thinking about this post.
Have you ever wondered what your favourite book or movie plot would look like, but with the addition of bridge to the story? Agatha Christie has already proved that bridge is a great plot device, and I would like to see more of it.
Here’s a look at 3 popular movie and book plots, but with the addition of bridge.
1. The fast & the furious franchise
Here’s a movie franchise that has been milked for everything that it’s worth (and then some more). The Fast & the Furious contains more sequels than any franchise could ever need, and they might make 5 more before the next year is over.
The whole franchise is built on vehicles and racing, crashing, modifying, or stealing them.
Does nobody keep a card deck in their glove compartment?
Does nobody stand around before the race and imagine that it’s a good time for a bridge game?
Just imagine…
2. The ring
The Ring is an American remake of an initially terrifying Japanese horror movie (and if you didn’t know it, first a book by Koji Suzuki).
The premise involves a cursed videotape, and the 7-day death countdown for the people unlucky enough to have watched it.
The series has spawned almost as many sequels and reboots as Fast & the Furious up there.
The 2002 Ring stars Naomi Watts, and the 2017 movie Rings stars Johnny Galecki playing the exact same role as he does in The Big Bang Theory, but with the addition of ghosts.
What if everyone just ignored the cursed videotape, and stayed in to play some bridge?
It’s easier, it’s safer, and nobody dies.
3. Hackers
Hackers is still one of my all-time favourite movies, and I hope that there are bridge player out there who share the feeling!
There’s just something about the soundtrack and clicking keyboards that gets me going. At least once every so often, I’ll put on Hackers as background noise for an online bridge game.
I’ve also come to imagine bridge superimposed over the plot.
What if any of the titular characters opened up their laptop and opened up BBO?
I think I would have died from excitement right there. What about you, dear bridge fan?
Which of your favourite Hollywood plots could have done with the insertion of bridge?